What Would You Change?
by Shirafuzzy
Summary: Everyone's given the chance to go back and change something that happend to them, or the people around them. What would they change?
1. Kuwabara's Chapter

What Would You Change? 

((I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, and I am not making money off of this story. But enjoy!))

Botan flew done and found Kuwabara on a park bench, talking to Yukina. "Come on. Genkai wants to see you. Yukina, I'll drop you off at the dojo if you want me to."

"Please?" Yukina asked nicely.

The couple got on, with Kuwabara on the back. His arm wrapped itself around Yukina's back, as she was also riding sidesaddle, and she smiled sweetly at him.

Botan made her way towards the dojo, and dropped Yukina off like promised, the procedded to fly towards a building that Kuwabara had never seen before on Genkai's property. She dropped him off, slightly greenfaced, and said, "Go on in. She's waiting for you."

This new building looked like a more modern version of a dojo. It was black, and smaller, the ouside demensions gave him the idea that it couldn't be bigger than his living room at home. There were no signs that it had been created recently, but that didn't mean anything with Genkai.

Kuwabara opened the door, and found Genkai kneeling on the floor, sipping tea. The door cosled automatically behind him as he madehis way to the small table. There was a plate for him on her right hand side; there was a screen on the wall in front of him that contrasted the black walls. There were small windows near the ceiling that let in enough light, as well as candles placed in the corners of the room.

The screen flickered to life the moment he kneeled next to her.

There he was at the age of six, losing his first fist fight with Yusuke over a little red truck. He had to suffer two very embarrassing talks with the principal that week, one over the turck, and one the next day when Yusuke had 'accidentally' tripped him on the playground. Kuwabara had punched Yusuke that time, right on the jaw, who wasn't even fazed.

Ten years old, now, having just discovered hair jel that his sister had given to him for his birthday. He had spent all afternoon learning how to get his hair in the perfect gelled-back hair style. Ever since then, he couldn't park with his 'Elvis'-like look.

Then there was the day that he had some spirit power. He and his siter had been fooling around - she had started throwing dirty socks around at him. She tossed an easy, slow one at him. He swung at it with the wooden spoon they were using as a bat, and something on the spoon flared up. The sock was cut cleanly in half. He hadn't rememberd much of it afterwards; Kuwavara had slept nearly two days, and was weak for nearly a week after that.

He had gotten a worksheet with a red zero on it. The teacher had asked him to stay behind. "Every answer's wrong!" the teacher exclaimed. "I know," Kuwabara said, "I checked it all myself."

Genkai snorted softly in the background.

"I, Kuwabara Kazuma, am going to save her!" he yelled, before running off towards the mountians, to where Yukina was beind held captive.

The screen flickered out.

He looked at Genkai.

She spoke up before he could ask anything. "Given the power to change anything, or anyone in your lifetime, what would you change?"

The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think. "I wish those men had never hurt my sweet Yukina like they did." It had only been recently that Yukina had been telling him little snippets of things that they had done to her. It would only be a little, as she would then clam up again, changing the subject.

Genkai nodded, taking another sip of tea.

The movie screen flickered on again, rewinding to before Koenma had sent Botan to get them for the mission, before they kidnapped her. No kidnapping, no mission, no Botan, no finding her, no Yukina, no nothing.

Yukina eventually, showed the screen, did show up in his part of Japan, but it was only for a few hours, and only to Koenma. Finding no answers to who her brother was, she left, never meeting, and changing, Kuwabara's life. Their paths would never cross, not then, not ever.

"You're saying -showing- if she never got hurt by them we'd never met?"

Genkai just nodded. There was a momentary pause before she said, "If there were no sadness to darken our days, there would't be any way to tell when you're truly happy. Wouldn't you agree?"

Kuwabara nodded, smiling.

"Now leave, you bumbling idiot."


	2. Kurama's Chapter

((I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, nor am I making money off this story.))

Kurama was already home from school, Botan realized as she flew towards his house.

She landed on his doorstep, and rang the bell, shrinking the oar and slipping it in her pocket.

Shiori opened the door. "Hello."

"Hello," Botan said, smiling sweetly. "Is Suiichi in?"

His mom nodded. "Come on in. I'll tell him that you are here."

Botan made her way into the house as Shiori went to the kitchen, which was where Kurama was doing the rest of his homework. He came out of the kitchen.

"Genkai needs to see you."

"Mission?" Kurama asked her in a basic demon dialect.

Botan shook her head.

Kurama went back into the kitchen, putting away his school materials. He came back out with flip-flops on. Closing the door behind himself, he waited until Botan re-grew the oar and was floating on it before he got on it.

They covered the distance quickly; just as yesterday, the same black mini dojo was there. Botan dropped him off directly in front of it. "Go on in, she's waiting for you."

Kurama politely knocked before letting himself in.

Genkai waved nonchalantly, telling him to sit on her right hand side in front of the table.

He sipped at the tea that was set out for him. The tea was then forgotten, held loosely in his hands, as the screen in front of him came to life.

It started at him as Youko, messing up on the last job, with him turning into his spirit form, becoming a demon hidden in a human's form.

There he was as a helpless toddler, unable to be understood even though he was walking and talking much earlier than most humans could. That was what happened when an impatient thousand's year old soul was in a two-year-old's body.

"I'll get it, mom!" he dragged the stool in front of the cabinet and stood on it, climbing on the counter. A few more centimeters, and he'd have the container he needed for school...

His sneaker slipped unexpectantly, causing him to go backwards, grabbing the first thing he could. Plates fell down around him.

Then her hands were there, catching him, shielding him from the plates. Her arms were cut up instead of him...

"It'll be okay, Suiichi." He had been seven.

Something black moved directly in front of him.

"Think fast."

A sword - katana, really - came at him, scabbard and all, right at his chest. Kurama's hand came up as he twisted his body sideways, his hand pushing the scabbard away from him.

"I thought so. There is a clearing a mile ahead of here - you have three minutes to reach it. Go."

And the guy in black was gone. So was the katana.

Kurama raced up the path, intrigued. He knew that the person that had stood in front of him was a demon, and a pretty powerful one at that, one he didn't want to anger.

He got there with about ten seconds to spare.

The demon was already there.

"Your name."

"Minimino Suiichi."

"Wrong. Your demon name."

"Youko Kurama. Yours?"

"Hiei."

Three great artifacts, stolen. The sword and the orb, for selfish reasons -- his, not.

"Do you know what the price is?"

"Yes. My life."

Yusuke stepping in, saying, "I can't bear to see another mom go through the hell mine did; it's worse than dying.

His mom lived.

The screen flickered off. Kurama looked at Genkai.

"Given the power to change anything, or anyone, in your lifetime, what would you change?"

Kurama thought about it for a moment before saying, "I wish my mom knew, and understood, what I really am."

Genkai nodded. The screen flickered on again.

"Mom, I have to tell you something." Kurama said, his mom sitting down on the couch, reading a magazine.

"What is it, Suiichi?"

Taking a deep breath, Kurama sat down next to her. He took a seed out of his hair, and he put it in the middle of his palm. "Mom, I'm a demon," he said as he slowly poured power into the seed, making it grow. The plant he had chosen was a lily, her favorite, his control over the plant making it a perfect miniature.

"What?"

"There is really a demon side inside of me, one that's always been there. I've been hiding it from you; the demon's why I go out for weeks at a time. It's not for school, it's for training."

There was a long, long pause before his mom said softly, "Show me."

Kurama looked up to her, seeing her shaking where she sat. He was shaking out of nerves; she was shaking out of fear. Swallowing, not sure on what her reaction was going to be, he shrunk the lily in his hand, and, after putting the seed on the table, he stood up and closed his eyes.

It hurt, to let Youko have control, to come out, take over, his body having to grow tails and ears. But, in under a second, Youko stood there, tails twitching.

"Get out! Out!" Shiori yelled, standing up.

Genkai cut the screen from showing any more – she could feel how upset he was next to her, even though his expression, mannerisms didn't show any emotion.

"You, of all people, should know that, sometimes, it's best to lie."

"It's just that…. I always thought…"

"That she'd understand."

A soft nod.

"No matter how you go about it, it's just better if she doesn't know. I'm sorry."


	3. Hiei's Chapter

((Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, nor am I making money off of this story. Enjoy!))

Botan flew down to Hiei, who was in his usual tree. "Genkai wants to see you."

He opened one red eye to stare at her. "Hn."

"Now."

Both eyes opened up to stare wickedly at her. Botan swallowed nervously before flying off.

He sighed, his sleep broken. Getting up, Hiei made sure his katana, cloak, and personal shields were in place before setting off.

Hiei knew exactly where he would find Genkai; Kurama had told him what she had shown him. He let himself into the black mini-dojo and stood near the door, hands crossed over his chest.

Knowing that he would never go as far as stetting down, Genkai sighed.

The screen flickered on.

"It's a male."

There were nearly ten ice maidens clustered around the now weeping mother.

The designated healer women nodded, wiping her hands on a hand towel. "You know what to do."

His mother got off of the table slowly, not because of the pain that wasn't there but because of the knowledge of what she had to do. Holding the wrapped child close to her – oh, how his red eyes stared straight into hers – unnerved by the silence coming from her son. He seemed to uknow/u if that was at all possible.

She was standing over the cliff, the freezing cold river rushing underneath her feet. Whispering: "I'll love you always, Hiei," She held him out in front of her before letting go.

Demon children weren't born like human children. They were born with seven year knowledge of the world in a two year olds' body, with obvious survival skills. Everything usually caught up with one another when the demon reached the human equivalent of twenty years, even though twenty years is short according to demon life spans.

He only survived those first years because he was a fire demon. Koorimes live where it's the coldest it could be year round, and very few new-born forbidden children survive the icy waters.

Mercenary for hire. Thief for hire. Needed a dirty job done quick? He was the one to get if you had the money. Doing job right cost money, he said, even thought his work could be done with half a brain, as well as both of his hands tied behind his back. Most his cliental didn't even have the capacity for half a brain, though.

Time jumped up a couple hundred years, to where he first met the fox. It had been fun, messing with the human side of Kurama, as well as the training they did every day for years afterward.

Five years later, the rest of the stupid humans.

"Who's the shortie?"

"Call me that and die."

"I'm looking for my half-brother….." he heard Yukina tell Kuwabara.

Suddenly, Kurama's voice, only loud enough for him to hear, "Why haven't you told her yet?"

"She doesn't need to know."

Genkai gave him a moment to digest those memories as well as the others that had resurfaced. "Given the power to change anything, or anyone in your lifetime, what would you change?"

Hiei stood there for a moment. His face was blank, as well as his eyes, nothing new to Genkai. He wasn't sure how Genkai knew –saw- those things about him. Finally answering, he said, "I would like to see how Yukina reacts when I tell her who I am."

The screen flickered on again.

It was the two of them alone, walking down an empty path.

"Yukina, I need to tell you something."

She stopped, turning to look at him. "What is it, Hiei-chan?"

For the first time, Genkai saw Hiei smiling as he turned away, going back outside even before the screen showed him what would happen.

She turned off the screen, smiling to herself.


	4. Yusuke's Chapter

((I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, nor am I making money off of this story. Enjoy!))

Botan landed next to him. "Hey, Genkai wants to see you."

Yusuke swore as the pinball went down the hole. "Why?" he asked as he pulled the plunger again.

"I don't know. Because."

Botan patiently waited as he racked up the points. Well, maybe patiently wasn't the word for it. Every time the ball got near the hole she would cough, sneeze, say his name, pretty much anything to cause him to mess up. Finally seeing the sidewalk on both sides empty, she moved, bumping into the pinball machine.

"You made me tilt!" Yusuke screamed at her.

"Uh-oh. Game over, huh?" Botan laughed. "Let's go."

"You bitch! Only two more points and I would've had high score!" He yelled, grabbing the back of the oar as she tried to fly off without him. Pulling himself up, barely clearing a building she flew over, he sat himself on it, fuming, with his arms over his chest.

"Poor Yusuke," Botan said, reaching behind herself to pat his knee. "You could've done better on that first ball, though."

A sigh. "Yeah. That's my highest score ever, though."

Botan rolled her eyes at the sudden mood change. Sometimes he was worse than a woman with PMS.

The last few miles flew by in silence. Landing face down in front of the black dojo, she said, "She's waiting for you in there."

"In what, a string bikini? No thank you," Yusuke said, shaking his head.

"No, she isn't. Genkai said that if you don't get in there, she was going to double both your training time, as well as what she expects from you."

Yusuke glared at her before rolling his eyes, walking into the dojo. He didn't know if she was messing with him or not, but he wasn't going to find out.

Genkai waved a hand absentmindedly at him to sit down.

"All this for tea?" Yusuke said incredously.

"No. Sit down," she said with an annoyed sigh.

Rolling his eyes again, he kneeled down on her right side.

The screen in front of him flickered on.

"Momma, I hun-gy," a five-year-old Yusuke said to his mother, who was currently laid up on the couch.

"Make ramen," she muttered back, throwing her arm over her eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something before closing it again. A determined look came across his face as he marched into the kitchen.

Finding the ramen pack, he sounded out the directions as best he could before working on it. Water in pan, wait to boil. Add noodles. Wait. Add seasoning. Wait some more – finally turn it off, then wait to cool.

He spilled a little as he transferred the soup from pan to bowl, and once the bowl was almost full he covered the mess with some paper towels. Yusuke carried the bowl into the living room, turned on the TV, and proceeded on eating his noodles.

From that day on, he would make himself something to eat over 40,151 times.

"Yusuke."

"What do you want now?" He snapped back, eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Go to the store an' pick up my o'der."

"Order? Again?"

"Yeah. Now."

He groaned. Crossing his eyes, he got up, grabbing his shoes on the way out the door. This was the second time this week she had sent him out to pick up her 'order.' Beer, nor cigarettes, never lasted long in the house, and that didn't count the fact that he was already stealing beers and smokes from her.

"Think fast!" Yusuke yelled, throwing the first punch.

Kuwabara was already moving away from his enemy, but the fist still connected with his jaw. He turned back, swinging his fist into Yusuke's ribs

Yusuke hissed him pain as his other fist came up to punch him in the stomach.

Kuwabara doubled over, clutching his side. Yusuke grabbed him in a head lock. "Say I'm better than you."

"Never," Kuwabara groaned out, trying to pry Yusuke's arms off his neck.

"Say it."

"It."

Yusuke added more pressure, making him groan in pain.

In retaliation, Kuwabara twisted, punching Yusuke in his gut as best he could. It didn't seem to faze him, but it hurt his fist.

"Say I'm better than you."

"No." He couldn't breathe….

"Yes." Yusuke loosened up slightly, not wanting him to pass out.

Able to breathe again, Kuwabara did something hid would later regret. He licked Yusuke's arm.

"Eewwwwwwwww!" Yusuke let him go, grossed out. Kuwabara took the chance to tackle Yusuke to the ground, punching, and then defending himself, as best he could.

"Come on, mom. Let's get to bed." He wrapped an arm around his mom's waist, throwing one of her arms over his shoulders. It was nearly one in the morning, early for her, but still late for him. He had woken up to her dropping her keys outside the door while pounding on the wrong apartment door.

"Wanna watch TB," she slurred out.

"Couch, then." Yusuke half-dragged, half walked her into their apartment, into the living room. Placing her on the couch, he turned on the TV before placing the remote in her hands.

"Ni' Yus'ke," she muttered, blankly watching the infomercial.

"Night, mom," he answered back.

"I never did say thank you," Yusuke said, putting his hands into his pockets.

Keiko looked at him weirdly. They were walking home from school on a rare day he had actually decided to go, and even rarer was the fact that he hadn't had a detention. "For what?"

"For saving my life."

"Huh?"

"For saving my life."

"I know what you said, I just don't understand."

Yusuke took a deep breath before telling her everything, from dying to Koenma to her saving his life. Genkai, Kurama, Hiei, demons, Botan, spirit power, everything was fully explained. When he was finally finished he stood there, head slightly bowed, eyes downcast. Surprisingly, it had been hard to tell her everything like he had.

"So you finally read a book. Nice try," Keiko said finally. True, it all clicked – the way he disappeared for weeks, or even months, on end; the way he would come back with bruises that looked absolutely horrendous; but how could it be real?

Yusuke looked up, trying to figure out where they were. Instead of walking her home, they had ended on going almost twenty minutes out of their way, and coincidently, not that far from Kurama's school. "I'll prove it."

"Huh?"

"I'll prove it. Come on." He started off at a semi-fast pace — Kurama got out of school soon, and he wanted to catch him before he got too far from the school. He didn't know where he lived quite yet.

Keiko followed him to the other school. They stood across the street from the main entrance.

Yusuke focused in on the fox demon, and felt the response. _I told her,_ he said mentally. _And she needs some proof. Please?_

He felt the slight distaste that came back. The answer back had only two words. _Fine. Where?_

Yusuke smiled to himself, which had Keiko again looking at him weirdly. _Front gates._

"How long is this going to take?" Keiko snapped, annoyed at the fact that Yusuke had taken her halfway across town, to a school he was apt to get jumped at, and add to the fact that her parents were going to be mad when she came home almost an hour late.

"Not long, I promise. Tell me when you see a red-head," Yusuke said as the teenagers started to leave the school.

There was a small wait as they streamed out. "There?" Keiko pointed out.

"Yeah." Yusuke raised his hand up in a wave.

Kurama made his way across the street to the couple.

Keiko turned on Yusuke. "You brought me all this way to meet another GIRL?"

She, however, blushed severely after she heard a definite masculine voice come from the added member. "You must be Keiko." When she tried to stammer out an apology, Kurama waved it off. "Don't worry about it. It happens all the time. The name's Kurama, and watch."

Kurama held a hand out, a seed in the palm. He slowly poured power into the seed, letting the ivy twirl around his fingers. At the end of the largest strand a small flower grew. He picked it off and held it out to Keiko.

Keiko fainted.

The screen flickered out.

Yusuke looked at Genkai weirdly. "What the hell was that?"

"If given the chance to go back and change anything from your life or another's, what would it be?" Genkai asked.

Yusuke sat there, frowning slightly. And sat there. And sat there. Finally: "Nothing."

"What?" She looked at him, confused.

"Nothing. I like everything the way it is."

Genkai waved him on, to explain what he meant.

"If I wanted for my mom to be normal, I'd never have grown up like I did, and then I wouldn't have been a spirit detective. I would have never meet Hiei, Kurama, you, Koenma, Botan, never have the chance to kick demon's ass, any of it. So, I say nothing."

She stared at him.

"What?" He asked, his old attitude returning.

"Nothing."

Yusuke scowled.

"You're the only one that said that," she said.

A grunt came form him. "Can I go now?"

Genkai rolled her eyes, which he took as a dismissal. Sighing, she waited a good ten minutes before she also left. The moment she stepped away from the dojo it shrunk into a small black box, which she picked up.

She walked to the regular dojo, and stuck the box in a clothing closet. Yusuke would find it eventually, and ask his future students the same exact question.

What would you change in your life?

-fin-


	5. Epilougue

((I am not making off of this story, nor do I own Yu Yu Hakusho. Enjoy!))

"I love Yukina!" Kuwabara yelled, wrapping an arm around her waist. Yukina just blushed and giggled.

"Stop embarrassing her, Kuwabara," Yusuke said, laughing.

"Stop embarrassing me," Keiko said, playfully glaring at him. Everyone else in their group laughed, making Yusuke blush. "Shut up."

"Oh, is poor Urameshi actually blushing?" Keiko teased, making him scowl. However, he didn't stay mad long, because Keiko leaned over and kissed him, making Kuwabara whistle.

Kurama jumped down from a nearby tree, having heard the commotion.

"You really should whistle more," Keiko said, "It seems like you call the most interesting people."

It was Kuwabara's turn to blush, but the poking at his manhood pushed his button. He disengaged himself from Yukina, and chased after Keiko.

Kuwabara effectively pinned Keiko to the ground, casing her to laugh and scream at the same time. Yusuke came to her rescue, followed by Yukina, who was worried that Kuwabara might get some bruises by the hands of his friends.

Before Yukina was able to get close enough to the mini-fight to help out, Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Hiei wants to talk to you," he said nodding his head in the direction of the fire demon., who had appeared under a tree about fifty years away.

"But Kuwabara--"

"I'll stop the fight," Kurama said.

Yukina nodded in reluctant approval, and made her way over to Hiei. "You wanted to talk to me?" She asked once she got close enough.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asked, confused. Never had he apologized for anything he did, never seeing the reasoning in it. It just wasn't Hiei.

His arms were crossed over his chest, but they dropped to his sides, one coming up to cup her cheek. "Yukina….. I'm your bother."

She froze for a second as the information sunk in. His hand was knocked away, only for her to grab him into an enormous hug, tears falling. "Oh Hiei, is it true?"

It was Hiei's turn to pause, but only for a second, before he wrapped his free hand around Yukina's trembling form. "It's okay…. I'm sorry… I didn't want you to get hurt…"

"Oh Hiei-chan! I'm so happy, but I can't stop crying!" Yukina let go of him, trying to wipe her eyes.

Hiei reached up, catching the tear gems as they fell.

"Kuwabara, stop. Yukina's crying."

"WHAAAAAT?" Kuwabara got off of Keiko, not even feel Yusuke's blows. He saw the scene over by the tree between Yukina and Hiei. "I'm going to kill him. I swear….." he started towards the pair.

Kurama, still considerably quicker than him, caught Kuwabara before he even got two steps.

"Let me go, fox!" Kuwabara yelled, trying to get out of his grasp, but he couldn't risk damaging his hair.

"Kurama, let him go!" Yusuke yelled.

"Oneesan."

"Sister?" Yusuke repeated once before it connected, and he laughed.

"What the hell are you two jabbering about?" Kuwabara asked, taking a step backward to loosen the pull on his hair.

"What has Yukina been looking for since you meet her?" Kurama asked, letting go of him.

"Her brother." A pause. "I don't get it."

Resisting the urge to punch his friend in the head, Yusuke tried again. "When does Yukina cry, usually?"

"She doesn't. Unless she's happy, or in pain."

"Does it look like she's in pain?" Keiko butted in.

"No."

"So that means…."

"She's happy?"

"Now why do you think that is?"

"Because Hiei promised to stop beating me?"

Yusuke reached up behind Kuwabara and hit him in the head.

"Because he's her brother."

Fear filled Kuwabara's eyes. "No, he can't be."

Keiko, Yusuke, and Kurama all nodded.

No one realized that Hiei and Yukina had walked back over to the group.

"Everyone, guess what!" Yukina gushed happily. "Hiei's my brother!"

Kuwabara fainted.


End file.
